Indraprastha College Students Stage Protest Over Hooliganism, Demand Arrest!

Students attending the annual festival of Delhi University’s all-women college Indraprastha college for women were harassed. A group of men allegedly entered the college premises by scaling the boundary walls of the college. Indraprastha College Students Stage Protest demanding action from law and order against accused. 

Indraprastha College Students Stage Protest

The protest was led today on 29th March. "Students injured and hospitalised! Who is responsible? Gender minorities molested and harassed! Who is responsible? Where was Delhi Police and Administration when lumpens infiltrated IPCW? From MH to DRC, from KNC to IPCW— WE DEMAND ANSWERS!, as per the tweet by AISA activist Twitter handle.

According to students, police personnel stationed outside the campus were unable to control the unruly crowd and the outsiders attempted to enter the college gate on North Campus, leading to a chaotic stampede-like situation. The visuals of men climbing and jumping the walls have also surfaced on social media.

“On day 2 of our annual fest Shruti, the scene was repeated. 100 men pushed our guards and forcefully entered our college after the entry time. Drunk men molested women. A stampede happened and some girls got badly injured in it,” said a third-year student.

In an initial statement to The Indian Express, Sagar Singh Khalsi, DCP (North), said, “Artist Asees Kaur was to perform today, and there was a massive crowd near the gate. Around 3 pm, some overzealous students hurried to enter the college. Some of the students fell down and got injured.”

“An FIR has been registered and seven persons have been arrested,” Singh added.

AISA DU unit secretary and a former student of the college, in a series of tweets, mentioned that men were chanting offensive slogans “Miranda, IP dono hamara (Miranda House and Indraprastha College both are ours)“ and “Miranda nahin chhoda to IP bhi nahi chhodenge (We didn’t leave Miranda, we won’t leave IP either),” 

“The administration, in response, locked the hostelers instead of taking action against the men,” she added. 

Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal also tweeted condemning the incident, “recent news of harassment with girls at a Fest organised by IP college is v shocking. Such incidents have occurred in the past as well. Issuing notice to Delhi Police. Such hooligans should be behind bars!”

Miranda House of Delhi University experienced a similar incident on October 14 of last year during a Diwali Mela organised by the college. As a result, the university released guidelines to all colleges advising them not to have open entry. It was mandated that all events must receive permission from the police and an estimation of the expected number of attendees before fests. 

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